


A Night to Remember

by MoF10



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Backstory, Memories of Calamity, Minor Character Death, Sad, slight mention of injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24491107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoF10/pseuds/MoF10
Summary: For the first time in what felt like forever, Nino saw herself.
Kudos: 4





	A Night to Remember

**Author's Note:**

> Fair warning: There is brief mention (But no details) of injuries such as a broken bone, however it isn't anywhere near the focus of the story.

Another day, another set of almost benign tasks done. 

Nino wondered, as she sat down at her worn desk to begin filling out her equally worn journal, whether or not most people would be as wowed by the prospect of being a Warrior of Light if they knew that most of it was spent  _ finding _ things to do. (With the majority of those tasks falling on the ‘glorified assistant’ portion of the heroic spectrum). 

It was a familiar routine. Wake up, do some ‘quests’ (as she had affectionately taken to calling them) and spend far too little time actually interacting with anyone. Many outsiders (Scions included) wondered why.  _ Why  _ did she choose to fill her time between adventures with more work?

To be honest, she didn’t know why herself, at times. Even  _ if _ she had significantly reduced her workload at Alphinaud’s (and to be fair, most of the Scions’) request, something within her still insisted that she answer every call, lift every weight, and bear every burden.

Her quill touched paper as it did most nights, recounting the quests of the day.

~~_ Dream Parade _ ~~ _ Manic Pixie Dream Realm - _

_ A local pixie named Tyr Beq was concerned for some local children. Apparently, the children had been suffering from unusual nightmares… _

Like most evenings, her focus eventually waned as the wick ran low and she found herself idly gazing out her deskside window into the night sky. The stars were dancing with reckless abandon. 

_ After showing me around Lyhe Mheg, Tyr Beq  _ begged  _ that I continue helping. If I’ve learned anything from ‘working’ with the pixies, saying no would have meant yes regardless. At least it’s bound to be interesting! _

Out of the corner of her eye, Nino caught the latest new addition to her desk: A silver mirror. Alphinaud had seen it fit to celebrate her nameday by purchasing her one of the few commodities she had yet to own and giving it to her earlier that day in the Musica Markets. Before thanking him, she’d cheerfully let him know that he remembered the occasion before her.

Oh, how she had revelled in his surprise.

But now, as she gazed into the silver reflection, she was taken aback by how aged she looked. Even being hardly past twenty two summers old, a passerby wouldn’t bat an eye if they were told she was over thirty.

Her line of work would age anyone. When  _ was _ the last time she looked at herself in the mirror? The elezen that stared back was most definitely her, but something was nagging her about the visage in silver. She couldn’t put her finger on just what it was.

A moment passed as she searched her face.

She sighed as she realized what it was. The familiar-yet-forgotten pink heart tattoo that adorned her left cheek almost leapt at her tonight. She softly brushed it with her right hand, to check it wasn’t rubbing off.

It was a reminder of times and people long gone. A permanent etching into her skin and memories that would remain until Nino was no more. She had never truly forgotten, but simply hadn’t been  _ reminded _ for a long time.

A very long time. How long had it been since she reopened old doors? Stepped onto memory lane and taken a look around?

Well, now that the doors were open, she had no choice but to close her eyes and step through.

\----------------------

Gridania always smelled of nature in the summer. The sun drew out the best odors of the forest, and the breeze often blew the floral perfumes all throughout the Shroud. There was nowhere else that could boast this fact more soundly than a lush farm village deep within the forest. Life there was usually simple, living off the land and admiring the lovely scents of the flora.

Strange then, that in the midst of autumn the summertime odors were already blowing throughout Gridania.

Even stranger that the blue sky was lit with a red moon.

Mayhap strange was an understatement.  _ Terrifying _ would be the better designation. Even in that relatively remote village, many were already saying their good-byes just in case the worst came to pass. Far more were embracing the age old tradition of completely losing their minds.

For Nino, it had been a  _ far _ lighter workday than usual. (Not that a teenage conjurer working at a local clinic in the Shroud ever had it  _ too  _ easy.) Between chaps caught in a Sylph’s trap or local Adders recovering from bandit skirmishes, demand never ran too low-except on days when there was a moon about to make impact, apparently.

_ “Work must be sucking all the colour out of your hair! It’s gone white as Halone’s halls, Nino!” _

_ “Oh come on, Nina! You’re the one who took all of it!” _

_ “At least you  _ look _ like a wise old doctor when you’re working!” _

Words spoken long ago rang through Nino’s head as she was idly gazed at her reflection in one of the many vanity mirrors in the otherwise empty clinic. Why had she decided to wear a ponytail today…? There were brand new pimples on her otherwise clear cheeks that had been exposed. 

_ Probably stress. _ Nino mused idly.  _...From being stuck in a godsdamned clinic while the world’s ending.  _

It wasn’t until a black head of hair ran through the entrance that she was drawn back from her thoughts. A familiar pink heart was emblazoned on the right cheek of the newcomer.

“Nino! What are you doing here?!” Her sister panted, out of breath. “We gotta leave!”

“Oh, good! I was waiting for someone to show up and give me a reason.”

“What?! Just, come on!” Nina ran to Nino and pulled her bodily out through the entrance. (Thankfully allowing just enough time for Nino to grab her beaten up wand.)

The red moon hung low in the sky, and the cold breeze heralding its descent could be nothing but a bad omen on the otherwise bright sunny (moony?) day. 

It switched from omen to direct fact in the space of moments as the moon began splitting in the sky and raining holy fire upon the land.

“Gods...” Nino breathed, stuck in the moment before her sister began pulling once again. 

“We have to get into the forest!” Nina demanded, twintails shaking as she shouted.

Nino could only draw her wand as she nodded and let her sister lead the way.

_ “C’mon Nino! We’ll be fine if we head in! The elementals’ll protect us!” A fairly common conversation played out over their dining table for two. Nina always wanted to do something or other in the forest. Today it was a good old fashioned game of hide and seek. _

_ “Uh-huh. The same ones that let you fall into the river just last week?” Nino tried to school her face into neutrality, knowing full well that she would be heading out no matter what she said. _

_ “They’re happier now! Let’s go!” Mhm, there it was. Even if she was only a summer younger than her at fifteen, her sister had double the persuasion skills Nino had. Or at least double the puppy-dog eyes. _

_ “Fiiiiiine... But I’m not drying you off again!” And like always, Nino crumbled before her. At least she knew all of the best hiding spots. _

Nino tripped on a wayward branch, sending her reeling back-first into a shrub. 

“Nino!” Nina cried, almost following her older sister into the bush. 

While the shrub was one of the less thorny ones in the Shroud, it had still managed to cut through some of her robes. Tripping on a loose branch hardly did wonders for her leg either.

“Ughhh...” She groaned. “Foot...”

“Nino?” Nina again grabbed one of Nino’s hands and pulled her up and out of the shrub.

“Sprained...” She gestured to her left ankle.

“Got it. Give me the wand.” Nino obediently handed it over before hissing as Nina quickly began her work.

_ “Ow! How are you so good at this?!  _ I’m _ supposed to be the conjurer!” Torn skin and broken bones knitted themselves together under Nina’s focus. _

_ “Beginner’s luck?” Nina smirked.  _

_ “With stuff like that, you’ll probably be a beginner for life.” Nino laughed as she shook her mended arm loose. As usual, it felt like she hadn’t just taken a bad tumble from a tree. Why on Earth did Nina choose to pursue business when her talents so clearly laid with medicine? _

“All good?” Nina held out the wand.

“Yeah.” Nino looked up as she stretched her now-healed leg. The broken moon and its debris was on top of them. She could only hear the rustle of trees as if they were in fear of what was coming. The forest had gone quiet. All of the usual buzz, even the insects that usually filled the Shroud had fled.

Nina took off down some well-beaten path, and Nino had to sprint to keep up. She could barely figure out where they were going as the trees whizzed by, but supposed that it didn’t really matter if there were celestial impacts about to take place.

_ Taking _ place. A giant crash reverberated around them, forcing the sisters to stop lest they be thrown off their feet.

“Gods! It’s happening!” Nino barely heard her own shout over the destruction. It sounded as if the forest was  _ screaming.  _ She felt heat on the back of her neck as everything turned orange. Her mind searched for something,  _ anything _ that would save them from the crimson flames of doom.

Nina turned around, doing much the same. Their world was burning and there was no bucket in sight.

Memories of playing in the forest danced before Nino’s eyes. “Nina! We have to hide!” 

_ “I give up, I give up! Where are you, Nino?” Nino revelled in her victory for a few moments before stepping out of her hiding spot. _

_ “A cave?! Where’d you find a cave?” Nina was knee deep in foliage as Nino sauntered out of the cave. _

_ Her singsong teasing mingled with the birds and insects buzzing and cawing. “Seeecret~”  _

_ “I’ll never understand...” _

Everything was turning red _.  _ Nino could scarcely trawl through semi-faded memories to even  _ find _ what they hoped would be salvation, but by some miracle, they had wandered into familiar terrain. Hopefully another miracle would see them through the end of the world.

Unfortunately, the world hardly ever gave more than it took, and one miracle was more than enough to whet its greed for equilibrium. 

“Nino! Look out!” The crack of wood was the only warning Nino had before Nina shoved her hard enough that she fell backwards. One of the larger trees in the Shroud was coming down, and Nina seized the last possible moment to push her sister out of the way.

_ It was a cold night like many others. Nino was sitting at a small table, hunched over tomes of medicine until a familiar pair of footsteps caught her attention. “Sis... everyone’s forgetting about mom and dad.” Nina had been crying. _

_ “Oh... Nina...” Nino stood and hugged her as tight as she could.  _

_ “It’s- It’s like they never even existed!” Her voice cracked as she leant into Nino’s embrace.  _

_ For a moment, all Nino could do was stand there and offer what little comfort she could until an idea came upon her so suddenly that she thought it was a gift from Halone. _

_ Nino released her grip with one arm, grabbing a quill and dipping it into a jar of red ink that was laying dormant on the table. _

_ Nina stared at her in confusion as Nino took the quill to her cheek, feeling the cold ink upon her skin only for a moment. As she pulled away, Nino smiled with glassy eyes as she surveyed the sloppy red heart. _

_ “There. That’s a piece of them. Now no one can forget.”  _

\-------------------------

Even back then, the nurse in her knew death on sight, but she had still tried to repair what had been her sister. Gashes closed and bones mended, but her form remained still amongst the world that refused to stop ending for even a single moment.

There was no comfort either then or now in knowing it was quick, that a branch had struck so soundly to extinguish the flames of life with one disgusting crack. 

Tears ran down Nino’s cheeks and onto her journal, blazing trails past the last remaining piece of blood family she had. Despite being six far flung years away from the memory, it may as well have happened yesterday. 

She didn’t try to stop the tears from falling. Tonight, she would let herself break and let the memories of souls long departed comfort her until the stars stopped their whirling dance.

With the next sunrise she would be out again, fit as a fiddle and ready to help in any way she could. 

How could she not? She  _ had _ to carry on for those she lost, and for those she could yet save.

For her, there was no other way to do the souls on her cheek justice.

**Author's Note:**

> :(
> 
> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> As usual, if you've noticed something that I could improve, feel free to leave a comment. Any are loved and accepted.


End file.
